Nearly 1,000 new trees and shrubs have taken root at Syncrude, thanks to employees and their families.
Today, Syncrude celebrated its annual Tree Planting Day, held for the second straight year on the Sandhill Fen.
“Tree Planting Day has grown into an employee-favourite event over the years,” says Eric Girard, Vegetation Specialist. “It’s inspiring to see our workforce take such pride in our environmental initiatives, and being able to include their families makes the day that much more memorable.”
Species including Jack Pine, White Spruce, Willow and Green Alder were planted on the Sandhill Fen. Joining previously planted wetland species such as Carex and and March Cinquefoil.
The 57-hectare fen is the industry’s first full-scale research pilot to reconstruct this unique wetland. It was built atop Syncrude’s former East Mine, where reclamation has been in progress for around a decade.
“Demonstrating that we can return our disturbed land to healthy ecosystems like forests and wetlands plays a pivotal role in our approach to responsible oil sands development,” explains Kara Flynn, Vice President, Government and Public Affairs.
This year alone, Syncrude planted over 305,000 tree and shrub seedlings. A leader in oil sands reclamation, the company has planted over 7-million since land restoration activities began in the 1980s.
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